Dead Moon: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (10 page)

18

“Okay,” Vinny says, packing his duffle bag, “we have the shotguns along with plenty of ammunition, including two ammo belts. There’s also canned food, bottled water, and medical supplies.” He then looks up to me as I reload a fresh mag into my Glock. “Anything else?”

Looking around his apartment, I make a mental checklist of what we may end up needing. What he just listed off should be enough, but we could very well need something else by the time we get to our wives. You can only prepare so much when everything you’re about to encounter is classified as the ‘unknown.’

I slam the clip home, flick the safety on, and holster the gun. Lifting an empty, I shake it next to my head like I’m trying to hear something inside. Frowning, I say, “You wouldn’t happen to have any spare rounds for this, would you?”

He smiles and stands, heading for his bedroom. A short moment later, he comes back out and tosses me an opened box of ammo, maybe another fifty or so bullets left in it.

I smile, thanking him. “I appreciate this, Vinny.”

He shrugs it off, not understanding the true meaning of my thanks.

“Vinny.”

He looks up and meets my gaze, seeing the seriousness in it.

“I mean it… Thank you.”

Vinny being Vinny, he just duplicates the shoulder shrug. “Jillian was my family long before she was yours. Remember that. I care for her too. Italian families, like ours, are close.”

I stand and heft on my own pack, but not before I secure one of the ammo belts diagonally across my chest. It’s filled with 12-gauge shells, easy to reach for quick reloads. The shotgun follows, already loaded and ready to boom its way through the city. Ready for war, I sit back down and start loading my empty mags. I have one completely empty and a second almost there.

Our plan is pretty straight forward. We will head west, driving straight and true, directly through Central Park via the 65th Street Transverse. The road cuts right through the southern part of the park, passing the northern end of the Central Park Zoo. The road then exits right in front of 55 Central Park West, the famous apartment building featured in Ghostbusters. It was perfectly nicknamed,
Spook Central
, by Dr. Ray Stantz in the classic 1984 film. One of the all-time greats.

I ain’t afraid of no ghosts…
Then, I think of where I am and what I’ve experienced.
Never mind…
I’m actually terrified.

Vinny turns and heads out of the front door. I follow, thinking of what to do once we get to the museum. I have no doubt we can make it there now. Vinny’s massive four-door almost guarantees it. But I also know how careful we are going to have to be. Treading softly in certain places will be pivotal. If this takes us another day or two, I need to be okay with that. We can’t rush this. The more we hurry, the more noise we’ll make, drawing unwanted attention to our already loud transport.

It’s either the truck or we find some bikes and pedal, exposed to the elements and its guard dogs.

I realize Vinny is talking to me and mumble a reply. “Sure.”

“Sure?” He turns, eyebrow raised.

“Yes.”

“So wondering what the girls have been eating for the last few days is,
sure
?”

I blush and avert my eyes before saying sorry.

“I was just thinking, you know? I… I didn’t hear you talking.”

He puts a hand on my shoulder. “It’s fine, Frances. Just try to stay focused. It’s not easy for me either.”

Remembering I’m the policeman and he’s the civilian, I puff out my chest a little and stand straight. I
need
to be the ‘big man on campus’ right now, not Vinny.

I grip my Mossberg and give him a cocky grin. “Let’s do this.”

He smiles and reenters his store, locking the backdoor heading up to his apartment. He pats the door in what looks like a goodbye.

Come to think of it, I’ve never thought of not returning to here—Manhattan, I mean. I’ve obviously thought about escaping this hellhole, but not never returning. I can picture it now, looking like Chernobyl. The 1986 nuclear plant disaster left the still radioactive city of Pripyat dead, looking like it was frozen in time. People’s belongings can still be found in the same places they were left thirty years ago. The pictures are super creepy and unsettling to look at. The thought is eerie enough to give me another set of goosebumps.

Abandonment…

I wonder how many actually made it out alive. It’s a thought for when we join those that survived. Doesn’t do us any good to daydream more nightmares right now.

Vinny grabs the truck keys from a hook on the back wall and heads for the front door.

“Check the left to see if anything unfriendly is hanging around.”

I follow his instructions and head for the front of the shop, glancing into one of the display cases as I pass. In the reflection, I see what Jill had once described as a ‘less psychotic looking Mel Gibson’ walk by. Me being a cop and my overall style and look reminded her of his character from the Lethal Weapon movies—minus the death wish and feathery mullet.

Leaning forward, I peek through the shop’s front windows and see nothing but death. Dead death, not the leaving kind. I even do my best to stand on my tippy toes and try to see inside the bed of the truck, but I can’t get a good enough angle from here. We’ll just have to be extra cautious before climbing in the front.

“Nothing,” I say, stepping away. “You see anything?”

“No,” Vinny replies, breathing in heavily. He’s doing his best to stay positive and keep his shit together, but he’s starting to crack a little. Leaving
Vincente’s
behind might be his undoing.

“You good?” I ask.

He glances my way and gives me an annoyed look.

He’s fine. Nervous as hell, but fine… Like me.

I can even feel my own hand twitching ever so slightly. Breathing in deep myself, I nod to Vinny, who then grips the door handle. He then slowly and quietly, unlocks the deadbolt—just as something slams into the door, barreling over the man.

As the Siren enters, she slashes out at anything in her way, including Vinny, who takes a clawed hand across his face. The wounds aren’t deep, but they are numerous, just missing his eyes. It turns on him and goes to slash again, but doesn’t… I don’t let it.

It’s then I realize I’m on her back, opting for the quieter kill. Using our much louder weapons would have brought a gang of Unseen our way. It’s something I’ve been trying to avoid as best I can since leaving my own home.

My arms are locked around her throat, hanging on for dear life. She’s thrashing and spinning, but I don’t let go. I’m beyond pissed off at the circumstances I currently find myself in and squeeze. Anger is fueling my body, spiking my already peeked adrenaline to an astronomical level.

Hearing the bitch-hulk gag and choke is strangely satisfying. Her growling then turns into a whimper as I squeeze even harder and wrench back as hard as I can. She then grabs on my arms and begins to use her much stronger body to pry me off.

Pry…

I may not have my pry bar anymore, but I do have another non-bullet firing weapon. This one also came from Joan’s place. It was under the Glock in her gun safe.

Quickly repositioning myself, I lock my left elbow around the Siren’s neck and lean back again, throwing off her balance more. It’s all I need to gain the extra second of time and physical leverage to draw my army knife.

I clutch the handle in a backhanded grip and yank it free, swinging it around, up-and-over her right shoulder. I drive the tip into the creature’s chest, eliciting a cry of pain, followed by a gurgle of blood as the blade pierces and ruins one of her lungs.

She rebounds off the strike and snaps her jaws shut on my forearm as it slips up far enough for her to bite it, getting a yelp of pain out of me as well. Enraged, I twist the knife deeper and she begrudgingly lets go of me, but the damage is done.

Damnit,
I think.
I hope they aren’t contagious.

Down, but not out, the Siren tries to flip me forward, off her back. But I hold on, gripping her neck and the knife harder. She flips with me, my weight and momentum being too much for her weakened state. The only problem with this sound strategy is that she lands right on top of me…hard

The wind gets knocked out of me and my body involuntarily tries to let go. She attempts to sit up, but instead the butt of a shotgun slams home, smashing the Siren’s face. She wobbles and bends to my will as I rip out the knife, sending up a geyser of blood at Vinny. He’s standing over the flailing Siren, drenched in her blood, but doesn’t flinch. Instead, he rams the stock of the weapon into her face once more.

It gives me the break I need as I regain my breath and lock on again. The Siren snarls and reaches for Vinny, intent on ripping him apart, but I again don’t let her. Unhappy with what I’m about to do, I shout, flip my hand on the knife’s hilt to a standard grip. In one rage filled move, I draw the blade across her neck, severing her jugular and her will.

My brand new attire is officially soiled as she bleeds out all over me. I’m so exhausted I don’t move. Her life just drains out onto me as I lay my head back and finish catching my breath.

It’s not until a beefy figure rolls her lifeless form off of me that I regain the full function of my lungs. I wheeze once more and then am pulled to my feet. Vinny and I look horrifying, covered head to toe in the Siren’s blood.

Looks like we’re headed back to Harvey’s.

19

We only encountered a small group of Unseen on our way back to Harvey’s, but they were easily dispatched when Vinny ran them over. And don’t read too much into it. He didn’t even have to steer into them. No course correction needed at all. The bastards just came, running at the beastly Ford. I think I even saw Vinny shrug before smearing them against the already ruined roadway. The dummies tried to attack us from the front like we were riding a four-wheeler.

I convinced Vinny to go, knowing the store well from my last visit. He wasn’t happy about backtracking, considering we were only a block from the park. He finally relented when I mentioned the mirrored front windows and the safety it provided. The design of the building’s front façade gave him just enough security to go along with the plan. Plus, I
really
wanted to change again.

Once inside of the upscale clothing store, we cleared the small area, looking for any and all dangers. Finding none, we locked the doors, breathing easy. Being able to let our guard down if only a little felt amazing. Then, we turned our attention to the racks of clothes.

Happily, I find a duplicate set, greatly enjoying the last ensemble. Even Vinny whistles from the corner, impressed with the selection of fine European makers. The fact that they have a
Big and Tall
section makes this detour an even better decision.

“I was afraid I’d have to squeeze into something on the tight side,” he says. He had changed back at his shop, but wasn’t above upgrading his wardrobe some, ditching part of his outfit for something better. His revolt in being covered in the creature’s blood also spurred his agreement into coming back to Harvey’s. He understood my pleading to go back as soon as he slurped his clothes off. I don’t have a spare set of clothes handy like him and would be stuck in them for the foreseeable future.

“How do they fit?” I ask, waiting for Vinny to come out of the changing room.

Footsteps sound and Vinny appears from around the corner. He’s dressed similarly to me, having opted for the jacket and jeans combo. Ditching the slacks and suit jacket was a big step for the normally slick dressed Italian. Now, he looks downright…
normal
.

Well, normal in my eyes.

Jill said I always liked to dress down, but I always came back with just liking to be comfortable. She even admitted that she hated wearing the dresses and pantsuits on a daily basis, but it was a part of her job. Me, being a detective, I was always dressed in street clothes. It was a part of the gig. So the informal work attire was the norm. Plus, I just really dig a comfy pair of blue jeans.

“You look…weird.”

Vinny squints his eyes at me, but laughs. “I’ll admit, this is not what I would typically go for, but…” he turns to a mirror. “I could get used to it.”

I shake my head.
What a time to comprehend your future fashion sense.

“Ready?” I ask, stepping towards the door.

He nods and grabs his shotgun.

We wait another minute, watching the streets around the store. The Unseen can no doubt track the sound and scent of the truck, so we need to be extra careful. One of us was trying to watch while the other changed and I know I didn’t see anything and I’m pretty sure Vinny would have let me know if he had.

“Let’s go,” I say and swing the door open, not waiting for Vinny to voice his opinion. We need to move while the coast is clear. No better time than now.

We sprint to the truck and I wait to get in. Vinny has a longer run, making his way around to the driver’s side door, so I help keep watch before leaping in. As he opens his door, I match him, climbing in and locking it quickly.

“Onward my friend,” I say, unclenching my butt cheeks. If I had been squeezing them any harder, I may have pulled something vital.

He turns the key, revs the engine, and takes off back the way we came. The one-way, westbound lanes of 65 are clear enough to navigate, until we come to the T-boned accident I had to avoid on foot.

“Turn left,” I say.

“Why?” he replies, turning.

“You don’t want to go right.”

The finality in my statement keeps him from asking more questions. He knows what I went through getting to his store.

The memory of the one chasing me before I found the bicycle is still fresh in my mind. Remembering how she dug her claws into the brick building and ran on it as she rounded the corner gives me the willies. It was like a Matrix ability or something from the Wu Tang Kung-Fu movies. This nightmare of a weekend is like taking both the red and blue pills with a shot of Absinthe.

‘Crouching Siren, Hidden Goblin’ would make millions in the box offices.

He suggests heading back towards his shop on Madison. It’s only a couple of streets south of 65th, so getting back to the Transverse won’t be difficult.

“We didn’t see many of the creatures coming here, so why mess with a good thing, you know?”

I agree and could use a quiet ride. I need to collect my thoughts and come up with a plan of attack. Getting to Central Park was only Phase 1 of my plan. Phase 2 and 3 have never crossed my mind since I had no idea what the hell to expect.

The buildings go by, one-by-one, and nothing tries to jump out at us. I peek into every crevice we go by. Some I see movement, some I don’t, but by the time I look back, we are gone, whizzing by another storefront. Goblins can’t catch us unless we get stopped, and so far I haven’t seen a hint of any Sirens.

Let’s keep it that way.

A lane opens up and Vinny guns the engine a little more, shooting us down the street. We are quickly approaching Madison and he begins to slow just a little.

As we pass the intersection I hear Vinny mumble to himself.

“Huh?” I ask.

He looks over for a second. “I was…just saying goodbye one more time.”

I nod. “We’ll be back.” The statement came from nowhere. Maybe I’m just trying to console the man?

He turns, nearly facing me fully as he steers around the obstacles in the road. “I never want to come back to this place ever again.”

With that, we sail past Madison for what I know will be the last time. Vinny has put the past behind him. He’s solely focused on the future and the now. We need to be fully coherent of our surroundings and not be glancing behind us, looking back to the lives we’ve left behind.

We’re still alive. It’s better than what most around here can say.

“Almost there,” Vinny says, slowing the truck to a steady crawl. We approach the light at 5th Avenue and stop completely, looking around.

“Where is everything?” I ask. There is absolutely nothing down either way, left or right. Our next move is to turn right and go back up to the light at 65th,
but the cool calm of the road has us frozen stiff.

“I do not know, my friend.” He cranks the wheel and eases out into the intersection. “But I’d rather not wait around to find out.”

But as soon as we creep onto 5th and head north, against the normal flow of traffic, I see why nothing is alive. Everything, and I mean
everything
, is dead, torn apart by something massive. The large bloodied footprints left behind give away that something huge was here, but they’re smeared and I can’t get a good enough look at them to make out what exactly it is that did all of this. Turning my attention back to the road ahead, I can see the destruction thickening, bogging down the road some as we move on. Bodies line the sidewalks too.

“What…” Vinny can’t get the words out. “There has to be hundreds of bodies here. It’s barely been two days…”

“We’ve seen how the Unseen attack their prey,” I say, verbally digesting the scene. “They bite and claw, but they don’t rip limbs from bodies or crush skulls. They’re like scavengers when they hunt—like a pack of dogs. Even the Sirens aren’t
this
brutal.” I look out my window and see a smear of blood running across the side of a building. “This is something different… Something far worse.”

We continue north until Vinny stops at the 64th Street intersection. I glance left and see the entrance to the Central Park Zoo. The carnage looks subdued down the front drive compared to here, but I can still see several bodies dotting the path. A groan sounds from my driver, and I reflexively turn my head back to the windshield and see why. A colossal form casually makes its way south down the road and with the glare of the sun and the filthy window, I can’t make out what it is.

But Vinny does.

“Oh my God,” he says, crossing himself.

“What?” I ask, leaning left. Once I’m almost into his lap, I see the beast responsible for all this death.

“Holy shit.” The curse comes out as a croak. My voice barely working.

The Central Park Zoo is known for some really amazing attractions. The
largest
of them being one of the most awe inspiring animals in the world. It also happens to be the largest land predator on Earth.

“Is that a—”

“Yes,” Vinny says, interrupting my question.

I know what it is, but the bloodstained body makes it look like pure evil. Its gleaming white coat is normally so beautiful—so regal, but now it looks like a pet Satan would keep by his side.

“It’s one of God’s most majestic creations—which also happens to be one of his greatest champions.”

“It’s a polar bear,” I say, still not fully registering what I’m seeing. I blink and try to focus. “I guess the radiation affected more than just people. It seems to have affected other—”

I don’t get to finish my analysis. The Unseen-bear charges, roaring into the copper scented air.